How Do You Run And Talk At The Same Time?

I just don’t get it. It really frustrates me. How can you have a chat and a gossip when you’re supposed to be running and working out?  

I can’t make my mind up about running. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I hate it. I never love it, that’s for sure.  

I run because I need to for exercise or because I'm trying to escape from something or someone.

Ok yes, occasionally I do enjoy a run, but that's because I know I've worked out hard and got some fresh air. I have no pleasure in getting all sweaty and out of breath, but if does feel good when you've been out on the hills in the countryside, or even blasted it out on a treadmill, to know you've got your exercise in for the day and burnt some proper calories. 

But one thing I don't get. People who run together and chat and smile. No no no. Running is supposed to be hard work, not a time when you have chit chat! How do you have enough energy and breath in you to talk and talk and run at the same time?

Of course, there are lots of people who do this, but aren’t really running. It’s more of a very gentle jog, and is really just an excuse for two people (usually women, without being sexist) to escape the house and have a good old natter together. They’re doing it for the chat, and not the exercise, though you have to give them credit for not just sitting on the sofa. 

But then there are some people who are serious runners, and are getting a genuinely good workout, and yet, they still manage to talk to each other whilst doing it? How!? How do you have the energy and lung capacity to do that? Shouldn’t you just be running harder? I’ve tried talking when out running with Kirsty… not going to happen. It’s nice to have you by the side of me, but we ain't going to be communicating if you want me to make it back home!  

I do think those people that talk when running should be working harder. But I do envy their lung capacity too. Such is life. Meh.

Retainer Based "In House" Copywriting in Manchester

Do you ever wish you had a copywriter in house and at your disposal, whenever you needed them?  

For many small companies, it’s wishful thinking. They don’t have the cash available to hire a writer full time on their staff, to help out with marketing ideas, write strap line and slogans, build email campaigns, or even just write and proof read important letters.  

But would you really need to have someone in house, even if you could afford it? Why pay someone to come into the office in Manchester, or anywhere in the UK and sit there every day, when you can just have a copywriter at your beck and call, but only when you need them? 

Retainer based copywriting means you get the best of both worlds. You have a copywriter who you pay a small set fee to every month, but you’ve secured that copywriter’s time for a set number of hours, to do whatever you want with, and you don’t have to pay them for the time they’re not needed.  

It’s perfect if you’ve got a flexible business with changing needs every month. Perhaps one month you might need some new blog posts writing, whilst the next you have an important report for a board meeting you need typing up and making sound awesome. Maybe you have an urgent need to edit and proofread some new brochures before they go to print, or maybe you need to spend a whole month building a brand new email marketing campaign. Or it might just be you want someone to check an email letter you’ve written for any stupid spelling and grammar mistakes.  

Whatever business you have, big or small, having a copywriter from Manchester on a retainer basis could help you out with a lot of writing needs, stopping you from wasting time and money in other areas. It’s costly to keep hiring a writer on a project by project basis, and often, they’re just not there when you need them. When you have a copywriter on retainer, no matter how many words you need, they’ll be there to help you.  

I suppose it boils down to efficiency and security. You could waste time trying to find the right words yourself, or asking other people if they could help, and then worrying about it not being right or having made a silly mistake. Or you could just ring up your copywriter, give him a quick brief, and before you know it, you’ve got this great piece of writing which is just what you needed. 

And of course, you could have a copywriter based in Manchester, but be a company in the US, Australia or anywhere in the UK, because they’d never need to come into the office. You don’t need to be limited to mediocre copywriters who are affordable in your local area, when you can have a skilled and persuasive copywriter from Manchester. 

It’s likely you’ll have loads of ideas about what you could get an in house copywriter to do if you have one, from drafting sales letters, writing blogs or articles, or creating email campaigns, but if you need some suggestions on what a copywriter could be working on for your business on a month to month basis, then please do feel free to ask!

The Kooks In Manchester - Then & Now

Then it was 2006. Manchester was experiencing a balmy heatwave at the start of May. 16 years old, it was my first gig at Manchester Academy. The band had rocketed to success in the past couple of months, and the gig was a sell out, rammed full of excitable Mancunians enjoying the hot weather, ready to rock out to the hottest group in indie music at the time. The Kooks.  

Fast forward eight years.  

It’s the beginning of May again, only this time, it’s pissing it down with rain, in true Manchester style. We’re dodging puddles and running to The Ritz after being stuck in horrendous city centre traffic (lesson learnt: always use public transport where possible), eager to take a trip down memory lane. There’s some excitement in the air, but it seems somewhat nostalgic, rather than eager in anticipation.

The Kooks are back, after a break of over two years, (longer in the minds of many). But are they still any good? 

The short answer. Yes, they certainly are.  

They were welcomed back to Manchester, and indeed to the whole music scene, with open arms, and they ignited the crowd immediately, just as they did eight years ago.  

Opening with their newest single Down, they soon got the crowd going, clearly thrilled to be back themselves, just as much as their fans were to see them. Roaring their approval of the new song, which sounded a treat live, the crowd soon went wild as The Kooks followed up their opener by going right back to their debut album, with hit single Ooh La.  

The rest of the gig followed suit in much the same fashion, a taste of something brand new, followed by an absolute classic. And it worked perfectly.  

The band members themsevles have certainly come a long way since they were all thrust into the limelight in 2006. Luke Pritchard, The Kooks front man, has definitely found his own in recent years. Whilst he always had a presence on stage, he has now upped his performance to rival those of many a great front man. In 2006, I remember him as a young, shy, weedy guy, not quite sure what he was doing. And I seem to recall the vocals and sound of the band live were some what lacking, not that it mattered as their entire set was just screamed at them by the audience at the Academy.  

Here at the Ritz though, they sounded brilliant. Their back catalogue had a refined sophistication to it, still the bouncy, melodic pop which made them famous, but with subtle hints of more experience to it now. Their new songs promise great things from their upcoming album, each one with a unique sound; throwbacks to 60s & 70s rock and hints of Smoke on The Water with Westside; a touch electronic disco pop in It Was London. It’s retro, with that modern flair so specific to The Kooks.  

And as a front man, Luke Pritchard just owned the stage, strutting around like he’d never been away. Sauntering around like a cross between Mick Jagger, Pete Doherty and Steven Tyler, he got the crowd jumping like it was 2006.  

In that respect, not much had changed. Looking down from the balcony of the Ritz, at a sweaty mess of hot bodies, jumping, dancing, and throwing themselves into each, it did bring back memories of the wild night at the Academy, hauling girls off the floor as the crowd threw itself left and right, front and back. I was mostly grateful I wasn’t down in the middle of it anymore, though a small part of me did miss that feeling of being right in the thick of it.  

Of course to reach the great heights, Pritchard does have a little way to go as a frontman. The songs lend themselves to audience participation, yet Pritchard never really gave the crowd the chance to offer their own renditions of The Kooks’ classics.  

Not that they needed inviting. Any song from Inside In, Inside Out was greeted with a raucous shout of lyrics, as were most of their other songs too.  

Judging by their response to both the more recent Junk Of The Heart, and the very first single Naive, the crowd have stuck by The Kooks, and they were certainly pleased to see them back on stage again. If their new songs are anything to go by, there’s a lot more life in these 2006 indie darlings yet. 2014 could be their second homecoming. 

Set List

Down
Ooh La
Always Where I Need To Be
Bad Habit
Is It Me?
See The World
It Was London
She Moves In Her Own Way
Eddies Gun
Westside
Seaside
Tick Of Time
Sway
Around Town
You Don’t Love Me
See The Sun
Forgive and Forget
Do You Wanna
Sofa Song

Encore

Junk Of The Heart
Naive

Which Witch Is Deciding Whether The Weather is Coming From Over There, Their or They’re?

The English language really isn’t simple at all. It’s no wonder people have a need for a copywriter.  

Of course, a copywriter does so much more than just ensuring that correct grammar and the right words are used - it’s all about the style of the words and the tone of voice - but still, it’s always useful to know you’re making sense right? 

When I was learning German, Spanish and Italian at school, we all used to complain about the complicated nature of foreign languages: how words had genders; why certain verbs were irregular; and why there were multiple different types of the past tense. And don’t even get me started on the imperfect conditional!

But we take for granted that we are natural born English speakers. We giggle when foreign people pronounce something funny, say a sentence in the wrong order, or choose a completely inappropriate word. (Not like we could speak even 5% of their language). 

You can see from the title of this blog how confusing English can be for a speaker. The same sounding words, but each with a completely different meaning. If you don’t know the difference between some of them…were you asleep in your high school English lessons?…drop me an email and I’ll try not judge you too harshly. (I’m kidding..kind of. I’d rather explain to you than you live in ignorance, even if that does reduce the amount of work I get as a copywriter - spread the love and all that).  

Anyway, the words in the title are spelt differently at least. But what about the same word, written exactly the same? Check out these examples from a blog post on Tickld: 

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture..

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Confusing isn’t it!?  

Do give the rest of the blog a read for some interesting paradoxes in the English language too.

Just one other reason why you need a copywriter. 

Some rules are made to be broken. Others just aren’t. Sometimes, for the sake of style, I believe a copywriter can tweak certain rules to give a unique tone of voice. But most grammar rules, they’re there for a reason.  

This all reminds of a book by Bill Byrson. Mother Tongue. If you like anything to do with words, etymology, or grammar, then it’s definitely worth a read.  

Just like computer programmers love certain codes, and maths students get excited over spreadsheets, for us copywriters, it’s all about the words. 

Where Do All The Pens Go?

When you really need a pen, you can't find one can you. Why is that? Why do pens just seem to have a tendency to disappear.  

As a copywriter, nothing is more important than a pen. (Sure, I use tablets, phones and computers to write most things now, but you'll never find me turning up to a meeting in Manchester without a pen and paper, and some of my best ideas still spring from scribbles on a page). 

So I always keep track of my pen, especially when I lend out, as other people invariably don't have one handy.  

But wherever I've worked, pens always seem to go missing. And I just don't get it. Even at home, in that place you have by the phone or somewhere specifically where you keep pens, they always seem to go for a walkabout, never to be found again.  

Where do they go? I've seen stockpiles of pens at work and then just a few weeks later, they've all disappeared, and no one can find a pen when they need one! I'm sure many of you have experienced the same problem. I've replaced lost pens with a pile of at least 50, and sooner rather than later, they've all gone again! Are they just thrown away because they're not working? Maybe for some, but not all of them, surely. Maybe they're just dropped on the floor or down the back of something? They're not, I've checked. 

So where do they end up? Do they go to the same place where all lost things tend to go? Or do they end up on top of some mysterious mound of millions of lost pens from all around the world? 

Or are there just some people who are pen hoarders?  

Now I'll be the first to admit I like a good pen. That's a topic for another blog post. But if there's a good pen up for grabs for free, then I might just pocket it, if it's a freebie or from a big company. And people do tend to have a tendency to slip pens into their pocket or bag after they've used them without realising. 

But surely that would just mean that pens are recycled amongst people, moving from pocket to pocket and house to house. Unless there is one person, or one home somewhere which has that huge pile of pens!

If you know who they are, let me know. I want some pens back.